Children’s Rights: Iran

Introduction

The Islamic Revolution of 1979 introduced drastic and fundamental changes in the social, economic, and political structure of Iran. It marked the end of a 2,500 year-old monarchical regime and brought into power a religion-oriented government based on the Shiite school tenets of Islam. The change in the nature of the regime from secular to religious had its impact both on domestic legislation and international conventions, as explained below. (PDF, 26KB)

International Conventions

The Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran) is a party to Convention on the Rights of the Child. Iran adhered to the Convention in September 1991, and ratified it on July 13, 1994.[1] Iran, however, has made the following reservation “If the text of the Convention is or becomes incompatible with the domestic laws and Islamic standards at any time or in any case, the Government of the Islamic Republic shall not abide by it.”[2] Iran has so far (according to the available sources in the Law Library of Congress) not passed legislation calling for the implementation of the Convention.

Iran is also a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as of April 4, 1968, adhering to this Covenant on June 24, 1975.[3] Iran, however, has not passed any legislation implementing the Covenant (according to the available sources in the Law Library of Congress).

Domestic Legislation

The Law Aggravating Punishment for Employing Children under 12 Years of Age in the Carpet Industry of February, 1969 provides for a jail term of six months to one year and a fine of five thousand to fifty thousand rials for violators.[4] Other than the carpet industry, the Labor Law sets age fifteen as the minimum age for employment.[5]

In addition, the Regulations regarding the Maximum Weight to Be Lifted Manually by Women and Teenagers of February 1991 provide that the load to be lifted manually by a woman should not exceed ten kilograms. For a male teenager, it should not exceed twenty kilograms.[6]